1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch device for use as a power window switch of, for example, an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a switch device in the related art, JP-A-2002-334631 discloses a power window switch of an automobile, and FIGS. 11 and 12 show the above power window switch.
When a pulling operation is performed on a switch device S2 shown in FIG. 11 by hooking a finger on an operation side wall of a seesaw knob 101 so as to be pulled in an arrow direction indicated by C, the operation side wall 102 of the seesaw knob 101 is pulled, and then a driving member 103 integrally mounted on the seesaw knob 101 moves so as to pivot on a concavity 104 as a fulcrum, thereby pressing a switch operation part 105.
When the switch operation part 105 is pressed, an operation body 106 in contact with the switch operation part 105 and a cam member 108 in contact with a pressed part 107 of the operation body 106 are all pressed. When the cam member 108 is pressed in this way, movable contacts 110 inside two rubber domes 119 of a click rubber 109 are brought in contact with two fixed contacts (not shown) of a printed wiring substrate 111, respectively facing the movable contacts, which leads to becoming the state show in FIG. 12, thereby turning on two of first switches.
Next, when the pulling operation on the operation side wall 102 of the seesaw knob 101 is released from the state of FIG. 12, the movable contacts 110 are separated from the fixed contacts by a resilient force of the rubber dome 119 having the two movable contacts 110, thereby turning off the first switches. At this time, the cam member 108 and the operation body 106 are pushed upward by a resilient force of the rubber dome 119 having the movable contacts 110. with the pushing upward, the driving member 103 pivots on the concavity 104 as a fulcrum, so that the switch operation part 105 is pushed upward, whereby the seesaw knob 101 returns to its original position shown in FIG. 11.
Reference numeral 112 indicates a member for mounting the driving member 103, reference numeral 113 indicates a through hole of the mounting member 112, reference numeral 114 indicates a upper wall of the seesaw knob 101, reference numeral 115 indicates a side wall of the seesaw knob 101, reference numeral 116 indicates an outer peripheral wall of the mounting member 112, reference numeral 117 indicates another switch operation part of the driving member 103, and reference numeral indicates a cover for covering the bottom.
In the switch device according to the related art, since the switch operation parts 105 and 117 should be pressed so as to abut the center of the cam member 108 corresponding to the middle position between the two rubber domes 119, the two rubber domes 119 are concurrently pressed, as shown in FIG. 12, thereby turning the switches on. In the meantime, a recently developed power window switch provides a two-stage operation; a manual operation is performed in a first-stage operation, an automatic operation is performed in a second-stage operation. In order to perform the two-stage operation with the switch device according to the related art, a position at which the switch operation parts 105 and 117 are pressed is eccentrically disposed from the idle position between the two rubber domes so as to make different distances from the rubber domes 119 to each operation part, whereby the first and second-stage operation is performed. However, since the rubber domes 119 have the same shape, it is very difficult for the rubber domes to correspond to various application force.